NEW HAVEN NAMED TOP WALKING CITY IN STATE, 19TH IN THE NATION

(3/10/2008) NEW HAVEN- In the 2008 Best Walking Cities report, Prevention Magazine and the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) named New Haven not only the best walking city in Connecticut but also one of the top 100 Walking Cities in America. New Haven ranked 19th on the 100 best list beating out cities such as Seattle, Wash.; Denver, Col.; Anaheim, Calif.; Alexandria, Va; Santa Fe, NM and Miami, Fla. Every year, Prevention and the APMA select the 10 largest cities in each state and rank them based on dozens of criteria including: number of parks and schools to ozone levels and crime rates.

In ranking cities, judges also looked at air quality, the percentage of residents who walk to work, green space, number of pedestrian fatalities based on population, number of destinations within a walkable distance from the center of town and street cleanliness.

“We are thrilled to receive this designation from Prevention and the APMA,” said Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. “Only in New Haven can you conveniently travel by foot from a world-class institution to an array of award-winning restaurants to the highest quality of arts and entertainment, all within blocks of each other. We are proud of our welcoming environment for pedestrians, cyclists and all individuals who want to enjoy a City that has something for everyone.”

Besides achieving the #1 Walking City rating for the State, according to 2006 American Community Survey Data from the U.S. Census, New Haven also has the highest percentage of bicycle commuters of any city in Connecticut by a significant margin (1.8% in New Haven, versus 0.4% in Hartford/Stamford, 0.1% in Bridgeport and 0.0% in Waterbury), and one of the highest in the United States.

“New Haven has many classic examples of the traditional neighborhood design where houses are located within walking distance of the services used in daily life such as schools, grocery stores, banks, parks, libraries and restaurants,” said Alderwoman Erin Sturgis-Pascale (D-14). “This kind of environment supports healthy people and healthy communities. It is an honor to receive an award recognizing us as a Walking City. Recognition such as this certainly reinforces our commitment to continued improvement of this resource for our citizens.”